Fate of Soul
by Sendo Sheng
Summary: Bounded by the thread of fate, Mei begins to unweave the tangle strings that connect her to her friends and loved ones but she learns that the heart is ever more complex than their destinies.
1. Chapter 1

__Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia

A/n: And so a new series is here! As promised, a drama fic with lots of angst is underway. There are many many pairings in this story and for those of you who follow me for my signature HongTai writing, fair warning, there won't be much direct romance between them unless you count angst. It will revolve mainly around HK and Taiwan's perspectives with a few others in the mix but those will the the main ones. Also I don't even have to go into explanation that the main love triangle will be of the three you will soon read about so expect lots of interaction and drama.

Also as a note, would any of you like to see more fluff first off or just straight up dive into the drama? Leave your suggestions in the review and the next chapter will revolve around that. Finally, if you're not into drama and such, check out the other series I've uploaded **Breakthrough**which is a fantasy/adventure. Until the next update, enjoy my dear readers

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_Fate of Soul_

_**Chapter One:**_

_**Foretelling of Love**_

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The sun rested high above in the clear skies, shining down and filling all below with the warm energy to explore the day. Children ran without rest as they chased each other and headed toward anything that peaked their interests. A trio of friends roamed the grounds, looking around and trying to spot anything that would be entertaining.

The girl of the three was much more energetic than her two friends as she twirled around, laughing and enjoying the festivities. Her long brown hair followed her in gentle waves and matched her deep brown eyes that seemed to catch any light and magnify it. She ran over to one of the stands, leaning over and trying to see the plushy prizes.

"Hey guys! Look over here. Aren't they cute?"

Her two friends turned around and walked over to her to see what she was talking about. "What is it, Mei?"

"Look at that tiger plush," she squealed. "Isn't it adorable?"

The Japanese man smiled lightly, "It's adorable, Mei."

The other teen rolled his eyes, "You think any tiger is adorable, Mei."

"Shut up Xiang! You know it's true."

He shrugged, taking more time to observe the plush toys. "I guess so… you want one, right?"

She looked down shyly this time, fiddling with her fingers. "Yeah… but I don't want to trouble you guys."

"Nonsense," Kiku announced. "This is a carnival and prizes are meant to be won."

"If you say so," she chirped. "But I think I can win it myself. It doesn't look too hard."

The Japanese man shrugged and stepped back to give her some room. Mei stepped forward to the stand, paying for three turns and the man placed three darts in front of her. Taking up one of the darts, Mei narrowed her eyes and aimed for the bull's eye. She pulled her hand back and in a flash, threw it. But much to her dismay, she missed her target.

She pouted slightly but took up her next dart. "I'll definitely get it this time!" she shouted.

With new vigor, Mei adjusted her aim and threw it. But when she saw that it had missed again, a wave of sadness washed over her. She looked down to see her last try and picked it up carefully. She wanted to win but she wasn't showing any results.

Mei jumped slightly as someone grabbed her hand gently. She turned her head slightly and saw Xiang. He sighed and lifted her hand up. "Hold it up a little more and don't be afraid to throw it as fast as you can."

She nodded slightly, letting Xiang guide her hand and pulling it back. Once she was prepared, she tossed the dart and it landed perfectly at the center. Mei began to squeal with delight and pulled her friend into a tight hug. "Thank you, thank you!" she cheered.

The Cantonese teen averted his eyes, blushing slightly. "It's not a big deal…"

Mei released her friend and eagerly received her stuffed prize. The girl hugged her tiger plush tightly and began to explore the rest of the festival with her friends. The trio went around and saw the sights the place had to offer them and tried their best to enjoy every moment of it.

As the sun began to set for the day, Mei sighed as she looked toward the sky. "Last day of vacation…"

"Well you had fun during the festival, right?" Xiang asked.

"Yep. But I can't help wanting to do something special before it ends."

"We may have some more time before we have to go," Kiku stated. "Why don't you find one more place to go to before we leave?"

Mei smiled brightly, "Alright." She began to look around the park and saw the people leaving for the day. Her head spun around, trying to look for something when she noticed a very unusual and small tent. Curious, she glided over to the stand.

Before she even touched the cloth leading to the inside, a voice spoke to her to enter. She looked hesitant but cautiously entered the tent, knowing that Xiang and Kiku were right behind her if anything happened. The scene she stepped into was incredibly strange as small sweet smelling candles lit the place. At the center an old lady sat with a small smile on her face.

Mei walked over to her and sat down on the provided cushion. "H-hello," she greeted.

"Welcome," she smiled.

"So… what is this?"

"Well my dear child, have you ever heard of the story of the red string of fate?"

"Of course," Mei smiled. "Two people bound by a red string that will connect them for their future romance."

"That's a nice way to put it. Could you show me your hand?"

She looked somewhat confused at the request but moved her hand forward. As the old lady took it in her own hand, Mei noted how warm it was. "What are you doing?"

"I can see the string," she stated softly.

"A-are you serious? That can't be possible."

"I have never been wrong, my dear."

"I'm not sure if I want this kind of fortune."

"Do not worry, I just tell you what to expect but not whom to. If you don't want me to, I won't."

Mei thought about it for a moment. She did want to know what her future had to offer her. And she wanted to have a boyfriend that was loyal and that would make her happy. "Go ahead."

The old lady began to smooth her hand beyond Mei's fingers and seemed to be grasping at something unseen. She looked at her curiously but waited patiently. All at once, the lady's eyes widened as her hands reached further and further.

"Is something wrong?" Mei asked, nervously.

"This… I've never seen anything like it. There are so many knots and it's tangled with so many other strings."

"What does that mean?"

"Your road to finding that one person will be difficult. Many others will be entangled in the drama that awaits you and you, yourself, will go through conflict as well. But… I promise that a deep romance will bloom between you two."

Mei looked startled at the sudden prediction and she wanted to know now. "Who am I going to be with?"

"I cannot tell you that even if I wanted to. All I can tell you is what to expect. The string is too tangled for me to tell." Mei looked disturbed as the lady sat back in her original spot. "But I wish you good luck in enduring these hardships."

Mei bowed lightly to her, "Thank you for telling me this." She got up from her seat and exited the tent. What was waiting for outside were her two best friends.

"How did it go?" Kiku asked.

"It was… interesting."

"I'm glad you have another memory before we go back to the academy," he smiled.

"Thanks."

As the trio began to walk off and away from the festival, Mei couldn't help but repeat the world the old lady told her. She peered up to her two friends and wondered if at all possible, one of the two would be the one she ended up with.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia_  
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A/n: So here's a new chapter :) Thank you to all the new readers, reviewers and favs; I was very pleasantly surprised with it. I decided to take things a bit slower with the storyline and develop their relationships more before I jumped into the chaos so I hope you guys don't mind. This means a little mindless fluff from time to time and humor of course because things would get boring without it. Next time expect other character's interacting with Mei and until the next update, see you. Also don't forget if you don't like this story's genre, go for **Breakthrough**. Well if you like fantasy and action stuff anyway.

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_Fate of Soul_

_**Chapter Two**_

_**Blossoming Flowers**_

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The morning petals of the sakuras began to blow away in the gentle breeze as the first classes ended. As their break started, students began to explode in chatter and conversations with each other. Xiang and Yong Soo began to walk down the hallways. The Cantonese teen casually listened to the Korean ramble on about the most redundant topics but it was somewhat interesting.

"So Xiang, you're close with Yao right?"

"I suppose so. He acts more like a teacher than the actual professors."

"Has he ever mentioned me before?"

"Yeah he has. You guys have met right?"

"What did he say about me?" he asked greedily.

"That you're annoying," Xiang answered bluntly.

"What! How can that be?"

"Well you're loud, you molest him on occasions and—"

"Hey! That's not my fault," he retorted. "If he didn't have such grope-able breasts my hands wouldn't find their way onto his chest."

Xiang stared at him and shook his head. "Right…"

"Well anyway, he doesn't resist so he must like it," he grinned.

"He told you to get off of him and has told you before to never do it again."

"He's just playing hard to get. He'll come around to it. And when he does, his chest won't be the only thing I—"

"Yong Soo!" The two turned around and saw Yue marching toward them with an angry expression plastered onto her face. "Yong Soo!" she repeated.

"What did you do this time?" Xiang sighed.

The Korean began to back up nervously, "Leave me alone Yue! I was hungry and your lunch box was sitting right there."

"I'm going to make you eat my fist then," she threatened.

Before any more words could be exchanged, Yong Soo ran off in terror and Yue quickly chased after him. But before she ran off, she stopped by Xiang. "Hey, Mei wants to ask you for some homework help."

"Um okay."

She nodded toward him and quickly went back to hunting down the Korean. Xiang watched the two disappear around the corner and he turned around to go to Mei's class. When he arrived, he found it odd that she wasn't in her usual spot and decided to go search for her. "That girl… asking for help when she's wandering around the place…" he said to himself.

Xiang searched the entire floor for his friend but to no avail. He thought of Kiku and decided to head up to the next floor and ask if anyone had saw her. When he arrived, he saw Kiku discussing and drawing something with Elizabeta. The girl had a wide grin on her face and was practically drooling over the doujin she was reading.

The teen walked over and Kiku noticed him. "Oh Xiang, what brings you here?"

"Have you seen Mei?" he asked.

"I saw her earlier running up to the roof garden but that's it. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get this scene done before the deadline." With that Kiku went back to intensively drawing, trading ideas with the girl next to him.

Xiang quickly got away from the two yaoi fanatics and walked up the stairs. When he pushed open the glass doors, the bright daylight sun blinded him for a moment. At the corner of the garden, he saw a familiar curl of hair sticking out from one of the flower bushes and went over to it. When he turned around the corner, the sight was breathtaking.

Mei was surrounded by a garden of different flowers as she wrote in her notebook. He blushed slightly as he stared at the beauty of the image. Xiang quickly shook his head to erase the pink in his cheeks before Mei looked up and noticed him.

She waved to him, "Hey Xiang," she greeted.

"H-hey, I um… I forgot why I came up here," he admitted.

"To help me with my English?"

"Oh right." He walked over to her, taking a seat next to her and looking over her notebook. "What are you doing up here?"

"Just writing," she smiled. "The nature and flowers calm me."

"Is that so? Well anyway, what do you need help with exactly?"

She reached into her back and took out a textbook, laying it out in front of them. "Well I just really don't think I understand the language that well."

"It's not too hard once you know the basics." He pointed out some things for her, going slowly and making sure she understood the principles of the language. Even as he explained it, she looked frustrated with her progress.

"I don't think I'm going to get this…"

"Don't be so sad," he frowned. He suddenly got an idea and picked up a clean notebook from his bag. He began to scroll something down and Mei looked curiously over to him, wondering what he was doing. Xiang kept the note away from her however, wanting to finish before he showed it.

After he finished, he handed her the paper and she raised an eyebrow, "This is in English Xiang. I can't read much of it."

"That's the point. Let's write letters to each other and I just used some simple phrases so you'll understand. If you really want to know what it says, figure it out and write me a response, in English though."

She chuckled and placed the note in her book. "This will be interesting."

"Good luck." Xiang moved to get up but before he could, Mei pulled him into a gentle hug.

"Thanks for your help."

He blushed, shifting nervously in her hold. "It's n-not a problem…"

"Well it means a lot. Shall we go back to class?"

He nodded to her and helped her up. The two began to walk back to class, Mei carrying the bright smile she always had. Once they got back to the classroom, Mei immediately went to trying to translate the note Xiang had wrote her.

When she finished, the girl smiled. "You're such a dork, Xiang."

_Next time we pick a place to go, we're going to go to my home city and spending a night there, kay? It's like worth one million dollars you know. _


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia

A/n: Hey everyone :) Another update and this time it will be in Kiku's perspective! You'll get to know his feelings and the beginning of an untold rivalry, literally hehe. Some sad news is my laptop broke yesterday so until its fixed, updates will be slower. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and don't forget to check out **Breakthrough**. Until the next update, so long.

Also to answer Sekainao's question: I'm a guy o3o I wonder if that seems surprising to any of you but there's the truth so um... yep

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_Fate of Soul_

_**Chapter 3**_

_**Sentiments of Silence**_

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Another week of school was about to end soon and the students of the academy were already beginning to make plans for their weekends. Despite the eagerness of the students, the teacher kept them in line and quiet as they took notes. All the while, people were still passing messages to each other either through their phones or old fashioned notes.

Kiku began to glance over to Mei and nervously fidgeted with the note in his hands. While the girl was taking notes and paying attention to class, his mind was up in the clouds, thinking of different scenarios for what he was planning to do. He wanted to ask her to hang out after school but not as a date. Yet.

Even though they had only recently been friends for the past year, he was growing attracted to the Taiwanese girl. Even with all his doubt in himself, he was trying to manage the courage to make the first move. She was kind and a bright person and beauty didn't even need to be stated. But there was more to the plan than just wanting to be around her; he wanted to know where he stood with her. He knew that in the past year he had grown close to her, albeit not as close as Xiang was but they had become best friends.

Taking a deep breath, he folded his note and tossed it.

But to his horror, at that moment, the open window let a soft breeze through the air, knocking his message off course and to another's desk. It had landed on the worst possible destination ever, Natalia's desk. The platinum blond girl curiously opened the note and read. It was at this time Kiku had wished he wrote it in Chinese instead of trying to impress with English.

Natalia snapped her head over to Kiku and glared at him with the most intense stare he ever saw. The bell rang and everyone prepared to leave. The Japanese man tried to escape as quickly as possible but a hand gripped onto his shoulder and spun him around. He was met face to face with the Belarusian girl.

"Is this some kind of a joke?" she demanded.

"Ano…" Kiku had to consider his options right now. If he were to say it wasn't for her, it would make her look like a fool for asking him. But if he lied and said it was, there was no telling what would happen. Either way, it was likely he wasn't escaping unscathed.

"Are you listening?" she pressed.

"T-the note wasn't for you," he admitted.

Natalia lowered her head and Kiku became even more nervous as he awaited his fate. "How dare you play with a maiden's heart…" she muttered.

Without any warning, Natalia raised her head and her eyes were filled with burning rage. She grabbed his arm and abruptly flipped him over, crashing to the floor within seconds. As Kiku lied of the floor breathless and dizzy, Natalia stomped off.

A familiar shade of blond hair came into Kiku's view. His fellow classmate and friend Arthur stood over him with a worried look and helped him to his feet. "Are you okay?"

"Ah… I'll be fine."

"What was that about?" he asked. "Natalia doesn't usually do that out of nowhere."

"I accidently gave her a note."

"Do you have a death wish, Kiku?" he asked, startled.

"I said it was an accident," he admitted shamefully. "The note wasn't meant for her but the wind had other plans for my message."

"That's too bad, chum. Well at least you got off easy. Last person who made her angry ended up in the hospital."

"Yeah…" he sighed. "Well I missed my chance."

"There's always another chance. It'll come. And maybe instead of being all nervous with a note, you should just go and ask?"

Kiku brightened up slightly with a smile, "You're right, Arthur-san. I'll go and do just that."

Arthur smiled and brushed off some dirt from his uniform. "Good luck."

He nodded toward the Brit and quickly walked off in search of Mei. He knew that the weekend was beginning and that meant that all the students would either be returning to their rooms, going out or visiting home but either way they all had to exit through the front gate. As he quickened his pace, he finally arrived to the front and saw her beginning to walk out.

"Mei-chan," he called out.

The girl turned around to the familiar voice and smiled when she saw him running up. "Hey Kiku. What's up?"

"I uh… was wondering if you'd like to hang out right now?" he asked nervously.

Mei smiled and nodded, "Sure. I don't mind."

"That's great," he smiled. There was an untold amount of joy radiating from Kiku at that point.

"I just hope Xiang's okay with it."

The smile from his face couldn't disappear fast enough. "Huh?"

"Well we always hang out and play games after the week of school is done. It's like a tradition. But I'm sure he won't mind if you tag along."

"I see…" he murmured.

Xiang appeared from behind them, seemingly out of breath when he stopped. "S-sorry I'm late. It was my turn to clean the room."

"It's fine," Mei beamed. "Just don't do it again."

"Right."

"Oh, I hope you don't mind but Kiku will be joining us for our gaming session."

Xiang seemed startled by the news but any signs of it quickly disappeared from his face as he turned to see Kiku. "Is that so? I'm warning you now that I won't go easy just because you're new to this."

Kiku let out a soft sigh but put on a small smile. "I'm not as weak in video games as you think, Xiang-kun."

"Well let's stop all this talking and go already," Mei piped up.

The two boys nodded and the trio began their way out. Unbeknownst to Mei, Xiang was silently glaring at Kiku. The time he spent with Mei during these trips were just him and her having fun. Him being in the mix was not to his liking but if Mei asked he'd be hard pressed to refuse her.

Kiku likewise was frustrated over the fact that Xiang was around. He didn't dislike the teen personally, just the fact that because he was around he wouldn't be able to get that time to see if Mei returned his feelings.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia

A/n: Finally the fourth chapter is out! Here we explore a little more into the feelings of Xiang and hints of others as well so expect that. I apologize for taking so long to get this out but its been really hectic lately but next update will be with Breakthrough. Anyway I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and until next time, see ya.

* * *

_Fate of Soul_

_**Chapter 4**_

_**Shrouded Feelings**_

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"Get the fire extinguisher!"

Black smoke began to rise from the cooking station as flames burned brightly from the pan. Within seconds, the extinguisher came along and the fire was put out without any casualties. All the other students stared awkwardly at the team's station and all sighed realizing who the starter was.

"Arthur you really should be banned from cooking class," Xiang said casually. The Cantonese teen was waiting for all the commotion to calm down before he got back to work.

"I just took my eye off of the pan for one second!" he argued.

"Everyone knows you're not even supposed to cook chocolate in a pan. I wonder where you even learn this stuff from."

"Well I didn't get a cookbook at the start of the semester," he mumbled. "But a spell book and a cookbook can't be that much different. You're making something either way. Maybe I should have added some newt…"

"Mon cher, you should really let me do the cooking," Francis stated. "Or at least let me supervise every move you do."

"Nonsense! I don't need your help," he pouted.

"Now, now, don't be like that. Allow me to show you." Getting up from behind the Brit, Francis lifted his arms and took hold of one of Arthur's and began to gently guide his movements. "You need a delicate touch," he whispered.

The Englishman blushed, "It's not like I needed your help… and don't expect me to thank you."

"You're welcome~"

"Why you—!"

Xiang rolled his eyes and returned his attention back to his work. He was thankful that he wasn't part of their group for several reasons. One, he did not want to fail cooking class; two, he didn't want to watch the mushiness that came from the couple. The groups were comprised to be balanced so naturally the worse student belonged with the best and in that case it just happened to work out to be Arthur and Francis.

Xiang's group seemed a bit more on the typical school boy team with him, Yong Soo, Emil and Tai in the mix. However, the lesson of the day was not to their musing. Chocolate.

Valentine's Day was approaching and so the academy sought it fit to properly prepare the students for the upcoming event. Despite hardly any of the boys having an interest in making chocolate. The girls were ecstatic over the lesson and eagerly put all their effort into creating something worthwhile. They kept to themselves, giggling with each other and making sure to keep prying eyes away from their works.

The Cantonese teen didn't really care about the event, concerned with only having a snack after they completed their assignment. He had to admit that he was quite skillful in the kitchen and so took the opportunity to make some chocolate mooncakes. Once he had filled his pastry with the chocolate, he placed them in the oven and leaned against the counter to wait out the baking.

He glanced over to his group members and the sight wasn't good.

Yong Soo was throwing all types of ingredients into a mixing bowl and Xiang feared for what he was making. Emil seemed to be a nervous wreck as he molded some chocolate and seeing the usually calm Icelandic teen in such a state made him laugh. Tai was the only one not really doing anything. Rather he was just sitting by and enjoying watching them do their work as if he had some kind of secret plan in wait.

Everything hit the fan once Yong Soo turned on the mixer. Batter and powder flew into the air as the mixer spun wildly. "Gah! Yong Soo, turn that thing off!"

The Korean did just that but not before one last clump of batter was tossed straight into his face, knocking him to the ground. The group began to wipe themselves off as Yong Soo got back on his feat, licking off the mixture. He grinned, "Tasty."

"You made one huge mess, dude."

"Sorry I guess. Had to rush this project."

"Well I hope you're happy. You ruined my chocolate," Emil pouted.

"It doesn't even look that bad! Why do you even care so much?"

"It's none of your business…"

"Oh I know! You want to give it to someone~ Who is it! Tell me!"

"I said it's none of your business," he growled.

"Hey chill, I was just curious," he pouted.

"It's for Lukas," Xiang answered. The group grew silent as a deep blush appeared on Emil's face and Yong Soo slapped his hands over his mouth to suppress his laughter. The Icelandic teen glared angrily at his friend. "What? He was going to keep asking all day and it's annoying."

"How could you tell him that!" Emil cried.

"I just said…"

"No one should even know about that," he interrupted. The teen's face still had the deep redness coating his cheeks as he attempted to hide it in shame.

"It's not like it was that big of a secret. You two hang around each other a lot and you act especially awkward around him."

"I think it's very sweet of him to be making chocolates for Lukas for Valentine's Day," Tai interjected.

"Well I just thought it'd be nice to give him something…" he mumbled.

"He's a lucky guy," Yong Soo grinned. "But speaking of getting chocolates, do you guys have any secret admirers? I'm sure Yao will be getting me something. The way he plays hard to get is so cute."

"Hopefully," Tai smiled.

"Nope," Xiang answered. The group stared at the teen for a moment before they began to giggle to themselves like a group of school girls. "What?" Xiang glared.

"Come on Xiang, you can't be that dense. What about Mei?" Yong Soo asked.

"What about her? She's my best friend."

"After all these years and still playing the friend card?" Emil asked.

"She's just my friend. I don't know what you guys are insinuating."

"Are you sure she's just a friend?" Yong Soo asked. "You don't have any sort of feelings for her?"

"Maybe I do… just a bit."

"Well there you go! Even if it's just a feeling, you have to go along with it. It's best to run at full speed in life and with no regrets."

"You would say something like that," he chuckled. "But I'm still not expecting much." Xiang wasn't entirely truthful with that last statement. It wasn't as if he hadn't thought about him and Mei being a couple but the idea was just so strange to him. He couldn't imagine his life without his best friend but he didn't dare push beyond that plain.

But deep in his heart he did wonder if it would work between them. And next to that wonder, was the fear that if he did try and attempt such a thing, it would destroy their current bond.

"Keep it in mind, Xiang. You'll never know what will happen if you don't try."

"Right." Suddenly the timer on the oven dinged; his mooncakes were ready. He waltzed over to the oven and opened it and immediately the fresh and mouthwatering scent of the pastries filled the air. Everyone seemed to take a deep breath of the aroma and seemed extremely content with it. "Looks like they turned out well," Xiang commented.

Yong Soo tried to grab one of the treats but Xiang quickly slapped his hand away. "Ow! What was that for?" he asked, rubbing his hand.

"They're still hot and not for you."

"Well you're going to share right?"

Xiang rolled his eyes when he saw the drool escaping his mouth. "If you stop drooling all over the place then yeah I will."

The Korean wiped off his mouth and sat as if he was a little angel. Xiang sighed and distributed one cake for each of his group members. The boys thoroughly enjoyed the treat as they devoured it within seconds. "You're really good at baking," Emil commented.

"Well I have to be when I have to live with Arthur. It was either, learn how to cook or starve."

All of them turned over to the Englishman's table and saw the blackened food. "True…"

"Well since I'm done here, I'm gonna take some over to Mei. Catch you later guys."

As he packed up the remaining mooncakes to leave, Yong Soo called out to him, "Don't forget to try!"

Xiang glared at the Korean and exited the room, quietly walking down the hallway to Mei's class. It was around the time for everyone to be on their lunch break and he was sure the girl would appreciate the treat. As he approached the classroom, the bell rung and the door burst open with students running out.

Not wanting to be stampeded, Xiang stood outside, patiently waiting for the crowd to disperse so he could enter. Once things finally calmed down, he prepared to walk in when the mention of his name stopped him cold.

"Well I know those are the people you want to give friendship chocolate to but isn't there anyone special?" Xiang recognized the voice as Yue.

"I've thought about it but… I don't think it'll work out," Mei answered.

"Well tell me who it is. Do I know him?"

"Yeah you do," she giggled.

"Hm… is it Xiang?"

The Cantonese teen could feel his heart beating faster once he realized what he was eavesdropping onto. He knew it was wrong and that he should leave before he heard something he shouldn't but the curiosity in his heart glued his feet to the ground. And when he heard a soft chuckle, his heart stopped.

"Xiang is a great friend. The best. But I don't think I can see him that way. He's more like a brother if anything."

A swirl of anxiety and disappointment filled Xiang when he heard that. He knew the look on his face right now was a look of sadness but he shook his head of the gloom. What was he expecting? He had the same thought and he should have known. They were friends. And that's all there was to it.

He walked in and the girls took notice of him immediately, waving to him. The teen walked over to them, "hey guys, we made chocolate sweets in class and I thought I'd bring some over."

"That's sweet of you," Yue smiled.

"What did you make?" Mei asked.

"Mooncakes." He opened the small box and offered them the pastries. The girls took them gratefully and bit into the sweets, smiling widely at the taste.

"This is fantastic," Mei chirped.

"Wow Xiang, I didn't know that you could bake so well."

"I'm a mysterious guy," he shrugged.

"That mystery is something that I'd like to explore," she smiled.

"If we hung out more you'd learn more. Well anyway, I have to get going, I'll catch you later Mei."

"Okay then, bye Xiang. We'll talk more later," she waved. The teen left the room and Mei returned back to eating the pastry.

"So back to our conversation," Yue continued. "If not Xiang, then who?"

Mei blushed slightly when she thought about that person and shook her head. "It's a secret."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia

A/n: Um hi guys. So finally an update has arrived. I sincerely apologize for taking so long to update but things have been tough lately. I don't really feel motivated to write for some reason and its not writer's block. So it took me a lot longer to get this out than I thought it would but at least its here, right? Anyway I hope you enjoy the chapter; bit of one side-ness, fluff and crazy stuff happens. And as to my irregular updates, I don't know when I'll update because its hard for me to continuously write but I promise I'm not gonna stop. I just need time. Anyway until the next chapter, see ya.

* * *

_Fate of Soul_

_**Chapter 5**_

_**Festive Break**_

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.

.

"You can do this," Kiku thought to himself.

Valentine's Day was this weekend and the Japanese student resolved to do what he was afraid to do for so many months. Ask Mei out.

The thought of doing such a thing however made him flush madly but he kept repeating to himself that he had to make the first step if he wanted to get anywhere with her. He thought about the perfect moment to do so; when the girls would be handing out chocolate to their fellow students. Obviously the special chocolate that would be used for confessions would be given the day of Valentine's Day but since many wouldn't be seeing their friends over the weekend, there was an unspoken agreement that it would be given today.

Mei was a kind girl and Kiku believed she would be giving some type of treat to all her friends and being one of those acquaintances, he would certainly have a meeting with her. That was his moment to ask. Many thoughts ran through his mind but the greatest fear overwhelmed him; rejection.

Kiku wasn't sure if Mei would agree to go out with him and if she were to say no, that would irreversibly change their relationship. The only thing he had to rely on was the fact that there was no hint that they would be disagreeable with each other and they were good friends. He prayed she didn't have feelings for someone else.

Mei stared eagerly toward the clock as it ticked away to the end of class. As soon as it ended, she planned to distribute the chocolate cookies she made for her friends. The smiles that she was expecting to see delighted to her to no end. Secretly, she had a special box of the best chocolate she could make for that certain someone but her confidence wasn't exactly as high as she'd like it to be. It was because of that that she decided to keep it hidden and away from prying eyes.

Breaking her train of thought was the bell. All the students began to rise from their seats and the girls especially were excited to get down to business. Likewise, Mei jumped out of her seat and took out a sack full of little bags of cookies. Without missing a beat, she went around the class and handed them out, reciprocating a smile from each of her friends. Once she was done with her homeroom, Mei left the class in search of her other companions.

After running around the entire academy, she only had two bags left and oddly enough, they were her two best friends. With a bright gleam of determination in her eyes, she sped off in search of them. But at her deadly speed, she wasn't paying attention to the guy turning around the corner. Without any delay, the two crashed.

"Ah-!" Mei landed on her bottom and she began to rub her head. "Ow… oh, I'm so sorry!" she apologized. After blinking her eyes a few more times, her blurred vision came into focus and she saw who she crashed into. Kiku.

The Japanese student rubbed his head and looked up to see her, blushing slightly to find her so quickly. "I-It's fine," he smiled. Standing up to her feet, he patted off the dust and offered his hand to the girl. "You okay?"

The slightest tinge of pink dusted her cheek as she took his hand and stood up. "Yeah I'm fine. I'm so sorry for running into you."

"Don't be. In fact I was looking for you."

"Oh really? What a coincidence, so was I." Without further delay, she took out a bag of cookies and offered him the treats. "Happy Valentine's day," she smiled.

Kiku looked happily at the treats and gently picked them from her palms. "Arigato, Mei"

"Don't mention it," she beamed. "I'm happy to see those smiles."

"I'd like to return that smile."

"Huh?" Mei looked at him questionably. "You're acting a bit differently, you know."

The Japanese teen took a deep breath, "I just want to make you smile."

"You can already do that though."

"I mean I'd like to see it more often."

Mei stared at him for a moment, tilting her head in confusion. "What do you mean?" The Taiwanese girl thought for a moment about what he was insinuating but she didn't want to jump the gun on it. But as she pondered it more and more, the way he was speaking to her made her flush slightly. "You don't mean…?"

"Would you like to go out this weekend?" he asked. Kiku closed his eyes, he did it. He asked. The silence in the air made his nervousness and anxiety build with each passing second until she answered.

"Sure," she chirped.

Kiku smiled brightly, "That's great. I'll call you later then?"

She nodded and the raven haired teen left with a smile. Mei didn't know what she was feeling when something warm welling up in her insides. She teen jumped into the air, squealing in excitement. The Taiwanese girl sped off down the hallways, running pass all the other students and down to the base of the academy. She needed and wanted to tell someone about this and the first person that came to mind was her best friend.

When she reached the entrance to the building, she spotted him walking out and leaped onto his back. "Xiang!" she cried.

The Cantonese teen stumbled backwards, startled at the sudden surprise. "Mei?" After he regained his balance, he stood more firmly but continued to walk as Mei clung to his back. "What do you need?"

"Well first things first, I have some cookies for you," she beamed. Jumping off his back, she took out a bag of the sweets and placed them in his hands. "Enjoy."

Xiang smiled lightly at the gift, "Thanks. You look a bit too excited to be giving me cookies though."

"Well that's not what I'm excited about," she grinned. "Guess."

"Um… excited to play games tonight? I even got bubble tea."

"Bubble tea?" Her eyes began to sparkle wildly as she stared up at him.

"Err yeah. Strawberry, right?"

She nodded happily. "My favorite. But that's not what I'm talking about. It's this weekend."

"You actually have plans?" he asked skeptically. He thought about it for a moment, what was so important this weekend. The only thing that came to his mind was Valentine's Day… Valentine's Day. "You're going out with someone," he said with a shocked expression.

Mei blushed, twiddling around with her fingers. "Maybe," she said shyly.

Xiang quietly patted her head, giving a slight smile. "Well that's good."

She smiled brightly up to him, "Thanks."

"We're still up for playing games tonight though, right?" he asked.

"Of course! I'll meet you at your house as usual."

"Okay, see you then."

As Mei ran off, Xiang's attitude took a drastic turn. He frowned and wondered who this person was. It wasn't like he was against her dating someone but something about the whole idea irked him. He shook the feelings off and began to walk home. It was just a date. Nothing for him to worry about. But somewhere in his heart, he knew he was lying to himself.

* * *

The young night came and as Xiang was preparing for the usual game night, the door bell rung and he quickly went over to answer. Mei smiled brightly at seeing her loyal friend and walked in, making herself comfortable on the couch as she snuggled her pillow. After a few minutes, Xiang brought out the snacks and the two began their intense game playing.

As the played, Xiang thought it'd be an excellent idea to both distract her and get what he wanted to know. "So Mei, you know exactly what you'll be doing this weekend?" he asked, dodging the girls attack in the game.

The Taiwanese girl seemed entirely focused on defeating him but the sudden question broke her concentration, if only slightly. "Um I'm not really sure. We haven't confirmed it."

"Oh? I figured you'd have something by now."

"Well its Valentine's Day, so there are all kinds of events going around."

"I see. Your date must be panicking at this point."

"He's not like someone to freak out about these sorts of things," she giggled.

"Interesting guy then. Do I know him?" he finally asked.

"Yeah you do," she laughed.

But the moment she laughed, Xiang took the advantage and quickly defeated her, waving a victory sign at her. "My win."

"No fair! I was distracted."

"You should know the slightest distraction against me means defeat," he smirked. Mei pouted at her loss but after a while she just laughed it off. "So… who is it?"

Mei blushed slightly, fiddling around with her fingers as she pondered whether or not she could tell him. Xiang was her best friend but he was always protective of her. It was that protectiveness that made her nervous.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Xiang assured.

"It's alright… It's… Kiku."

Mei looked to Xiang's eyes to see his reaction to the news. There didn't seem to be any change in his facial features but she could see the slightest change within his gaze. But she didn't know what it was. "That's interesting," he murmured. "I'm happy for you."

Truthfully, he didn't know how to feel about the news. A strange and foreign feeling welled up inside of him that confused his mind and senses. But he knew that he needed time to sort out this sort of thing and instead wished her the best.

She smiled. "That's a relief. I thought you were going to overreact or something," she laughed.

"Not at all," he assured. "But you know… if he hurts you I'm going to kill him."

"What!" she exclaimed. "Don't do that!"

"You don't know guys Mei. I'm just saying."

She pouted and poked his cheek. "You can be really embarrassing."

"I'm just watching out for you. You're my best friend," he said honestly.

Mei smiled lightly, punching his shoulder playfully. "I'm a tough girl. I don't need to be protected."

"I know but I'm here if you need me and always here to talk if you have problems."

"Thanks." An awkward silence came between them and they idly played with the cool game controllers in their hand. "I have a favor to ask."

"What is that?" he inquired.

"Well since I am meeting Kiku this Valentine's weekend, I'm not sure if the chocolate I made is really up to standards…"

"That's silly," he answered. "You're a great cook."

"Still! Help me out and taste some."

"Alright." Xiang in fact wanted to taste this special chocolate but he knew that if he sounded too eager, Mei would definitely tease him about it.

The two got up and went into the kitchen and Mei opened the refrigerator. After rummaging through the cooled environment, she took out a petite chocolate cake and placed it on the counter. "Don't worry about the amount. I made this as a taster."

"You came prepared huh?" Xiang took up a fork and looked at the luscious dessert. It was almost a shame to have to break into the cake but his appetite overruled his regret. He took a piece of the sweet and popped it into his mouth. He immediately let out a content hum as the flavor spread through his mouth and coated his taste buds in a delicious feeling.

"How is it?" she asked anxiously.

"This is wonderful…" he said with a smile.

"Really!" she said happily. "I'm glad."

As they began to clean up the snack they had, the doorbell suddenly rung. Xiang wondered who would be disturbing them at such a late hour and the two went toward the door. The Cantonese teen however was very cautious because no matter how well defended he may be, someone could always be surprised. When he looked through the peephole, he sighed and opened the door to reveal Yao and Yong Soo.

"Hey Xiang!" Yong Soo exclaimed.

He sighed. "What are you two doing here?"

"We were just in the neighborhood and decided to drop by."

"Yeah right. What's the real reason?"

"I got locked out of my house," Yao said sadly.

"Yeah, Aniki was such a klutz."

The veins in the Chinese man's face could be seen as he formed a fist. "That's because you tackled me out of nowhere and made me drop my key! ~aru"

"Details, details. Anyway, he said you kept his spare for safety purposes so we came by to get it."

"You need to stop following me… ~aru"

Xiang sighed again, letting the two inside. But Yao suddenly raised an eyebrow once he saw the girl hiding behind him. When the two's gazes met, an intense feeling hate filled the air as they glared at each other.

"I didn't know she was staying over," Yao muttered.

"Nice seeing you too," Mei retorted.

"Don't you have some stinky tofu to be making," he mocked.

"Shouldn't you be resting your old man bones," she snapped back.

The two immediately began to argue with one another, yelling things in their own native tongues that seemed to be completely gibberish to the other two Asians. Xiang sighed and went off to find the spare key while Yong Soo watched with goofy smile and laughing all the while.

After a few moments, Mei huffed and stormed off. "I don't need to be arguing with such an old timer anyway."

"I'm not old!" he yelled.

Mei went over to where Xiang was; wanting to stay as far away as she could from the Chinese man. The two new guests went off into the kitchen, wanting to cool off with some snacks.

As Xiang continued to search, he glanced over to Mei. "I don't know why you and teacher argue so much." Yao actually wasn't much older than them but he was still their senior. The two younger Asians liked to tease the Chinese man because of this but it seemed that Mei had almost no patience for him.

"It's complicated," she muttered. There were dozens of reasons why Mei couldn't stand the other but she didn't have the will to go into explaining it without fuming.

After several minutes, Xiang found the key. "Now where's teacher?"

"I think he and Yong Soo went into the kitchen to… get a snack…"

The two teens stared at each other for a moment before they rushed off to the kitchen. When they entered, their fear was realized. The two were eating Mei's chocolate cake. The two new guests raised their heads from the sweet and looked at them weirdly.

"What?" they said in unison.

Xiang gulped and looked over to Mei whose head was lowered. "Mei… I know they screwed up but—"

"You guys…" Mei said.

"We're just eating this cake," Yong Soo said.

"It's way too sweet anyway ~aru," Yao commented.

That tore the line. Xiang immediately backed away from the scene as Mei slowly walked toward them. The two looked at her, still not knowing what was going on.

The Taiwanese girl slowly picked up a cleaver from the knife rack. "I made that cake for Valentine's Day…" Mei muttered.

The two now knew the horrible mistake they just made and slowly began to back up against the wall. "W-Wait Mei, we can talk about this," Yong Soo tried to reason. The two knew the error they made by eating that chocolate. Not only was it not for them but Yao had insulted her work.

She slowly raised the cleaver and when she revealed her face that struck terror in their hearts. A deadly calm look was plastered on her face with a sinister smile. "The only thing I want to hear, are you two begging and screaming for your lives!"

As the girl ran toward them, terrified screams filled the house as the two Asians clung to each other.


	6. Chapter 6

__Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia

A/n: Hey everyone ' v');; I'm sorry I've been gone for so long. My motivation has been down for a long time now and only recently has it started to slowly climb back up. But anyway here's a new update. I hope you guys enjoy it and leave a review telling me if you did. I really appreciate you all my dear readers

* * *

_Fate of Soul_

_**Chapter 6**_

_**Clouded Hearts**_

Mei sighed deeply, trying to calm her hammering heart as she waited by the fountain at the entrance of the amusement park. The chaos of the last few days was more than she could bear. After beating Yao and Yong Soo half to death, Xiang stopped her from rampage and promised to help her make a new cake for her date. True to his word, the two were able to work through the night and recreate her cake.

During their baking time, Kiku had messaged her with the details for Valentine's Day and she couldn't contain her excitement when she learned where they were going. It had taken a while for her to calm down and even then she hardly slept all night. She did feel tired but her anxiousness and nervousness kept her wide awake for the upcoming event. In celebration for Valentine's Day, this specific amusement park was having a special event with an assortment of different games for dates and couples. The idea of being able to enjoy the day like this filled Mei with great anticipation and excitement.

Being lost in her thoughts, Mei didn't notice as Kiku appeared to the edge of her vision. He waved his hand in front of her, "Mei?"

The girl blinked, snapping out of her trance when she jumped back, startled at Kiku's appearance. "K-Kiku! Uh hey," she smiled. Taking a moment to look over his outfit, the usually formal Japanese student was wearing a more casual attire. He wore dark slacks but a bright white shirt with a blue undershirt. "You look nice."

"I could say the same to you," he noted, smiling slightly. Mei took a moment to glance at herself, noticing the flowery sundress that she finally decided on wearing after going through her entire closet. And going through the tremendous space was a feat in itself.

"Thank you," she smiled. Her grip tightening on the box behind her, she took a deep breath and presented her chocolate cake to him. "Here you go," she said quietly.

Kiku seemed surprise by the gesture and gingerly took the hand-wrapped box from her. "Thank you, Mei," he smiled.

Mei had to turn away to hid her blush and started to head into the amusement park, trying to keep her mind off of that smile. She could hear Kiku laugh quietly behind her as he followed swiftly to her side. When they reached the entrance, Kiku produced two tickets and they were given entrance to the park.

When they entered, Mei couldn't suppress her awe as the staff and crewmen had completely redone the park for Valentine's Day. The sakura blossoms were in full bloom, their pink, vibrant in the sea of red and white that decorated the rides and stands. Red heart balloons drifted in the wind along with the occasionally boom of confetti that soared through the skies.

"This is amazing," Mei chimed, skipping over to take a closer look at all the festivities.

"Well why don't we go have some fun," Kiku urged.

"Let's do it!" Without thinking, Mei grabbed Kiku's hand, making the boy blush slightly at the contact, and they were off.

Couples filled the lines at the rides and crowded the stands but the two were able to push pass the sea of people to reach their first game. Heart shaped dart boards lined the wall as others sent the darts flying to their targets. While the game looked simple, it seemed it was much harder than it appeared. The curve and shape of the boards gave it a difference experience from the regular ones. The prizes were large stuffed animals that decorated the sides of the stand and all the girls were eager to claim one for their possession.

Kiku saw Mei's eagerness to play and paid for a game, giving them a total of three shots. Taking up a dart, Kiku aimed and tossed the needle, hitting the mark perfectly. The manager was surprised by the feat but urged them to continue for a chance to get the biggest prize. Mei took up the next dart and closing one of her eyes; she aimed and threw it, matching Kiku's initial mark. Still on a roll, Kiku picked up the last and effortlessly made the last hit, winning Mei a giant tiger plush.

The girl cheered, squeezing the plush tight to her as she thanked Kiku. "It's so cute!" she beamed.

The Japanese boy smiled and gestured to the rest of the park. "Shall we continue then?"

Mei nodded gleefully and the two headed off to enjoy the rest of the park. After a couple of hours, the two had managed to ride almost all the rides and while Mei seemed energetic to continue, Kiku seemed to be a bit nauseous as he had his hand over his mouth and a green look to his face. The two found a bench to rest at and Mei had got him a drink.

"Are you okay?" she asked, concerned. "Maybe we went too far…"

Kiku shook his head, giving her a hard smile despite clearly being sick. "I-I'm okay. I just need a minute. I'm not used to so many dips and twirls when it comes to rollercoasters."

Mei tapped her finger to her chin, trying to think of something the two could both enjoy. "Maybe we can find a calmer ride." She took out a map of the park from her purse, skimming over the contents before she pointed at the corner of the map. "There seems to be a boat ride over here. You want to try that?"

Smiling lightly, he nodded and the two made their way to the place. When they arrived, they were surprised to find the swan shaped ships, fit for two, drifting along a river that seemed to run pass their sight limits. Taking a closer look to the map, Mei realized it was a river that circled the entire park. "This looks pretty cute," she noted.

Kiku was relieved to see such a peaceful ride and nodded in agreement. The two got in line and were surprised to find they knew the company. "Antonio-san?"

The Spaniard turned around with a surprised grin, recognizing the Japanese teen's speech. "Kiku!" he cried, pulling him into a hug. "What brings you here?"

Kiku was squished into Antonio's chest, unable to answer as the other laughed while twirling him around. Mei watched the awkward scene unfold when she noticed who he was with. "Bella?" she asked

The Belgian turned and smiled brightly when she saw her fellow schoolmate. "Mei! What brings you here?"

"Well…" she felt her cheeks redden slightly, "I'm on a date with Kiku. How about you?"

"Is that so?" she mused. "You'll have to tell me about how that goes later. Anyway, I'm here with Antonio. He promised to take me here today. They have the best chocolate and I wanted to get some. And enjoy the festivities of course."

"Ah I see," she stated, laughing slightly. "Well could you stop Antonio from stealing my date?"

"Sure." Waltzing over to the two males, the girl grabbed onto Antonio's shoulder, making him stop and prying him away as she spun him out. Mei quickly went over to help Kiku as the Spaniard regained his balance, laughing at the sudden movement.

"That was fun," he exclaimed. Bella sighed for a moment before explaining why the other two were here. The Spaniard grinned brightly, patting Kiku on the back. "So you finally took the jump huh?"

The Japanese teen looked like he wanted to say something but instead took up a flushed face and a nod. Mei giggled at the reaction.

Bringing their attention back to the boat rides, the moved up in the line and only a few people stood in their way from getting on the swan shaped ships. Going ahead of them, Antonio and Bella got into their respective boat and slowly drifted away from their sights. Mei waved them a goodbye as they waited for their own swan.

The two stood awkwardly as time passed, neither knowing what to exactly say to break the silence. There was a question that Mei wanted to ask but it wasn't proper at this time. Soon enough, the next swan arrived and they got on, drifting away from the long line and into a serene stream. The silence was mixed in with the splashing waters around them and instead of the awkwardness that was around earlier, it was a peaceful calm.

Now that they were alone and away from anyone that could overhear them, Mei had a question she had been eager to ask. "Hey Kiku?"

"Hmm?" Turning his attention away from the crystal blue waters, he turned to her "What is it?"

"I've wanted to ask you something…" The girl fidgeted with her skirt, looking down into her lap as her cheeks began to redden. "What do you think of me?" she asked quietly.

Kiku blinked for a moment and Mei was afraid that she had gone too far in asking something so out of line. Instead, he smiled casually, his eyes closed in apology. "Gomen, I'm afraid I couldn't hear you."

Mei flushed and quickly turned away from him. "N-never mind!" she stammered.

At this, Kiku did his best to stifle his laugh. He was not going to push Mei for something she wasn't willing to tell him. He would wait for her to have the confidence to tell him. "Well it seems that our boat trip is ending," he pointed out.

Mei frowned, not wanting this peaceful moment between them to disappear. Regardless of her wish, they left the boat and continued on their way through the park. From that point during the day, nothing else seemed to even compare to the moment she would have received if she had been able to say what she wanted to. The day was filled with adrenaline pumping rides and it was enjoyable.

As the sun began to set, Mei knew she lost her chance to ask him but she prayed that there would be another day and time where she would have the chance. Walking to the end of the park, Mei held her hands against her chest, a bit of regret weighing down her conscious.

The Japanese boy turned to her, tilting his head in curiosity. "Did you have fun today?"

"Huh?" she answered, looking up from the ground. "Uh— yeah! It was really fun." She smiled brightly, trying her best to hide her anxiousness.

"That's great." He looked beyond the park and let out a soft sigh. "Well the day is over now… I'm glad I was able to spend it with you."

"Me too," she beamed.

Before she knew it, Kiku had leaned in and gave a soft peck to her cheek, pulling back bashfully. "See you later." With that, he had gone off.

Mei blinked for a moment, her hand absent mindedly touching her cheek. Immediately her face flushed and she pressed both of her hands to cover her face. She felt as if steam was rising from her cheeks as she tried to contain the redness. At the same time, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Slowly lifting her hands from her face, the most delighted smile was on her lips as she touched the spot softly.

* * *

Xiang let out a long yawn, leaning back in his chair as he popped another piece of chocolate into his mouth. When he reached for another piece and found it empty, he wordlessly tossed the heart shape box into the pile with the others. He had received several confessions and obligatory chocolate for today and while he tried his best to be polite, he rejected them regardless. To his surprise however, despite his bluntness, that did not seem to deter his admirers from continuing their one-sided affection.

Grabbing another box, he started working on eating the chocolates once again as he returned to his work. While he was sure that those people who gave him the chocolate worked hard on them, they did not taste as special as he thought they would. He wondered if it was just because he did not return the same feelings as the giver. Shrugging, he pushed the thought aside and focused back onto his work.

But just as his pencil was prepared to hit the paper, his phone went off and he snatched it up from its spot. Mei's name immediately caught his attention and he swiped it open to see what the details were.

_Just got back from my date _

He let out a quick chuckle and prepared to answer her when his phone buzzed again.

_Btw, you should let me in _

Raising an eyebrow, he went over to his front door and opened the door. Standing right in front of him was his best friend. "Hey," she greeted, waltzing in. "Oh my goodness, Xiang. You have to hear about what happened. I mean even I can't believe it and it was so an innocent thing to but it happened and I—"

Xiang quickly pressed a finger to her lips, keeping her from drabbling on. "How about you actually tell me what happened?"

"Oh right," she smiled. "Well we went out for today as you know and at the end of it, he kissed me on the cheek." Mei's cheeks were dusted lightly with pink as she said this.

"Just a kiss on a cheek? They do that all the time in France you know," he teased.

"Hey! You know how reserved Kiku usually is. It means something." Mei puffed up her cheeks, pouting as she stomped off to the kitchen.

The Cantonese teen sighed and followed, leaning in the doorway as he saw her rummaging through his cupboards for ingredients. "What are you doing?"

"Making bubble tea. It calms the nerves."

Xiang stayed silent for a moment before looking down to the ground. "You know I was just teasing before, right?"

"Hmm?" she turned to him, her arms full of fruits. "Yeah I know. I still need this to calm down from today. My heart still seems to be pounding."

"Ah I see." Xiang watched, amused as the petit girl tried to carry around all the fruit in her arms. The ingredients were stacked so high that she could barely see over the top of them. As she took a step forward, a box of strawberries fell and along with that, her balance began to crumble.

He moved quickly over to her side, catching her in his arms before she fell as the nearly half of the food fell to the floor. Mei looked stunned for a moment, blinking as the realization of what just happened sank in.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Y-yeah… I'm fine. Thanks."

Xiang was relieved that his friend was okay but as time ticked away; they remained in that awkward position. He realized then how terribly close he was to her face and began to blush before quickly helping her stand upright and turning away before she could notice his flushed cheeks. "That's good."

Mei placed her hand on her chest and felt the beat of her heart. She tried to calm herself, not knowing why it was throbbing so much. She assumed it was from the rush of almost falling and pushed the feeling away.

Slowly she moved to pick up the mess and Xiang followed, helping her out. Within a few minutes it was as if the accident did not happen at all. Mei moved to make her bubble tea and her head popped up. "Oh! I just remembered." The girl rummaged through her purse and produced a softly colored box. She placed the wrapped gift in Xiang's hand and smiled. "I forgot to give you your chocolates the other day so here."

Xiang blinked for a moment and smiled slightly. "You didn't have to."

She tilted her head happily. "Of course I didn't have to but you're my best friend. I couldn't let you miss out on my chocolate." She turned to her drink, finishing it up and cleaning up after the mess. Just as she began to take a sip, her phone went off and she quickly checked it. "Ah, sorry Xiang, I got to run. I'll see you in class."

Before he could say another word, she waved goodbye and disappeared. Xiang stood quietly in his kitchen and sighed. He hopped onto the counter and looked at the soft pink box. Opening the chocolates, he was surprised to find a card. As he read the message written in English, he smiled slightly.

_I'd be happy to spend a day with you in your city. Somehow my worries are always lessened when you're around so thank you. I hope you enjoy the chocolates! _

Picking up a piece of the chocolate, he popped it into his mouth. A small smile appeared on his lips, the flavor and texture far superior to the earlier boxes he went through. And even more bitter-sweet.


End file.
